The campaign manager for former Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R) during his re-election campaign was convicted of voter fraud for his role in automated calls to voters before the polls closed on Election Day in November 2010, the Baltimore Sun reports.

The automated phone calls were designed to suppress the black vote by telling voters Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley and President Obama had been "successful" in that day's election, noting "our goals have been met." The calls were made while the polls were still open and the votes uncounted.

That's not what happened Joph! What really happened was that the voting was SO ONE SIDED by those filthy liberals that the Republicans decided to admit defeat ahead of time and was telling everyone individually. The fraud is just the liberal media making it sound worse than it really was.

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George Carlin wrote:

I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.

I can't imagine being that guy, doing something like that, and then rationalizing it to myself.

You're not greedy enough then. I can easily picture it.

And it happens a lot more than most might think. Deliberately misleading robo-calls to deter the opposition's supporters from showing up and voting is a (dirty) tactic that some campaign managers in both parties occasionally use. This is the first time I've heard of someone actually being convicted of voter fraud for doing it though.

Take that as a biased legal system selectively targeting Republicans, or a step in the right direction overall, as you wish. It's an ugly tactic that no one should use.

I can't imagine being that guy, doing something like that, and then rationalizing it to myself.

You're not greedy enough then. I can easily picture it.

And it happens a lot more than most might think. Deliberately misleading robo-calls to deter the opposition's supporters from showing up and voting is a (dirty) tactic that some campaign managers in both parties occasionally use. This is the first time I've heard of someone actually being convicted of voter fraud for doing it though.

Take that as a biased legal system selectively targeting Republicans, or a step in the right direction overall, as you wish. It's an ugly tactic that no one should use.

This was the first of two trials for the Robo Call Scandal. Most of the people I known are waiting for the real show to begin when Julius Henson's trial starts in Jan. He's a democrat operative who will work for anyone with deep pockets. Since Ehrlich was the favorite of the rich business class, Henson saw a chance to try to redeem himself, I guess after he was linked to Sheila Dixon who as Major of Baltimore somehow mistook gift cards donated to the city poor as being for her.

Plus if you are going to try to use RoBo Calls to keep voters from the polls, at least remember to say who authorize them at the end of the call. 5 of the years, former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s top aide, Paul Schurick faces is for leaving off that little bit of information.

at Joph for posting this before I got home, ate lunch and took a nap.

edit since trails are not trials.

Edited, Dec 6th 2011 4:51pm by ElneClare

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In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair! -ElneClare

This Post is written in Elnese, If it was an actual Post, it would make sense.

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____________________________

George Carlin wrote:

I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.

No, I don't get the reference because I don't get the Simpsons. I don't think I've ever intentionally seen one episode.

Homer gets his hands on an autodialer and uses it to scam people out of money and by lolgaxe's ascii art is a pretty close representation of the auto dialer in the show. Given the story relates to the use of an auto dialer to scam voters I think the correlation pretty much solidifies itself from here on out.

Simpson's is comic gold, start from the beginning if you ever watch it.

Yet one more on the "compulsory voting for the entire populous" side. I can see arguments for not having compulsory voting, but the few old nations that do have compulsory voting can a) accommodate EVERY voter that turns up to the polling booths before the polls close, B) aren't prey to these types of scams. C) Are so super-organised in an utterly paranoid way from way back before computers, that they can pretty much guarantee no voting fraud, because of continual oversight (but no touching) by all interested parties, and completely independent (of government and the political parties) electoral commissions consisting of thousands of security checked reservists.